Description

The Republican cast coins were in the nature of emergency money for Yunnan. Several thousand cast cash would get a silver dollar.

In the second half of the 19th century various rebellions broke out in China. Most massive was the Tai Ping rebellion, which was a religious cult with an effective military aspect. Coins were issued by other entities that held territory for a time, some of which might today be described as criminal gangs. One of the rebellions in 1911 lead to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and the founding of the Republic.

The oldest Chinese coins are at least as old as the earliest Greek coins. The Chinese coinage system differed from other systems in two ways. It was monometallic, only bronze coins circulated in general commerce. Gold and silver were treated as commodities. And the manufacturing method was by casting in moulds rather than by striking heated solid planchets. The main reference I use in attributing and describing these coins is the book: Chinese Cast Coins, by David Hartill.